Introductions Thread

[CTC]

Hello fellow competitors!

As it's been over half a year since I've signed up, I thought now would be as good a time as any to say hello.

There are a couple of reasons that, up till now, have refrained me from giving back and actively participating in these forums. Main one being that, so far, I've had nothing to add.

I wouldn't say I'm a man of few words, however I tend to live by the following quote:

Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something

As there are plenty of fools to go around, I've decided to keep my mouth shut until now.

So why did you sign up in the first place?
Over the past couple of years I've been slowly dipping my toes into the world of making money online, after getting my feet wet with some of the usual suspects (drop shipping and a SaaS project) I've come to the conclusion that those models are a bit to hands on for me. I don't mind the work but, where I can, I try to avoid any unscheduled obligations.

Que the end of 2020 when I was in the market for a blue widget and thus did some orientation online. While the info was there, it was spread out as little titbits of information all over the world wide web. I'd like to think of myself as quite the seasoned Google user, and thus I'm fairly sure that the average user, e.g. my parents, would have significantly more trouble in actually finding any useful information about blue widgets if they were to try.

As I had come across the content website model somewhere around that time, I thought I might as well jot some of the stuff I was having difficulty finding down and create a website with this information. Since a blue widget is a bit of a boomer product I figured I found myself a great audience as, they tend to be homeowners, most of them have some disposable income, and they probably have quite a bit of time to spend behind a computer searching the web.

This half-ass attempt at a website has let to about 15 posts till date, the majority of those being published in Q1 of 2021. Around that time Ezoic had dropped their traffic requirements so I threw up some ads and sat back and watched things unfold.

Meanwhile, as I started to see the site gaining some traction I began to expend my horizons and devour every piece of relevant content I could get my hands on. I came across a lot of great as well as terrible information about the industry but eventually I outgrew most of the YouTube guru stuff and leveled up to this forum. To gain full advantage of everything that's provided here I created this account to get full access.

Ok, sounds great, so why no posts up till now?
Of course there's a reason I haven't had something to say before, as, let's face it, I'm a lazy bastard and I'd rather do things right the first time or not do them at all, thus I tend to think things through (thoroughly) before I act.

I've spent quite some time reading through all the juicy details that are spread across this forum, slowly sculpting my ideas for the best way to generate me some online revenue. So far this process has resulted in a myriad of amazing and high earning websites, inside my head...

As @MrMedia rightfully put it:

The opposite of thinking is doing.

So, time to turn things around and put my plans into action. I won't spill the beans just yet, you'll have to wait for my Laboratory topic for that (might be a while, have to somehow get to three posts first). I have, however, already started actually doing stuff, so when it comes we should be hitting the ground running!

Thanks for reading all the way through, I hope to see you in my Laboratory topic, could use all the feedback you've got!

 

[Ryuzaki]

I’m glad you’ve started posting. It does sound like you’ve found a fortuitous niche in terms of demographic and lack of organized and quality info. Hopefully it has the cash flowing through it so you can get a big slice. I’ll be looking for that lab thread!

 

[MadDasher]

I've been in this space for a few years and currently have a small number of websites that earn fairly well, mid 5 figures/month and growing. I've also run affiliate campaigns on paid traffic, mostly Facebook ads but some Snap ads and push too. Currently making more in web publishing though.

I've seen BuSo mentioned a lot and it seems like a great community. I figure it's worth joining to help out anyone getting started, and to connect with any other mid-to-high level marketers in the affiliate/publishing space.

Not sure what would be most valuable for me to share but happy to answer questions in this thread too. I can also verify earnings with mods if that'd help - but I'm generally a fairly open book and excited to be apart of the forum.

 

[Pagey]

Hey Mad welcome to the forums,

Congrats you look like you have a good grip on things.

How is your team structured?

 

[MadDasher]

It's all freelancers for the writers, and then two full-time VAs based in the Philippines.

The VAs handle converting the Word documents into HTML to be added into WordPress, and they source & size images properly as well. I'm not sure how many total writers I have at the moment but it's between 10-20 total - all just freelancers delivering a certain # of posts each month.

I'm sure there's people with more complex setups for sure. But considering my size I like the flexibility of not having too many fulltime staff to manage & oversee.

 

[LiamGallagher]

Hey. Welcome to the forum. I’m sure you will find a lot of golden nuggets here and pretty cool people too. I’m looking forward to read what you’re up to in your lab thread.

 

[Desert Haven]

Hey y’all!

I’m not even sure if I’m in the right place… but I guess y’all can help me in the right direction if I’m not…

My background is as a former high school English teacher and stay at home mom for the last 10 years.

I’ve been making things (like craft stuff) and learning embroidery for years and selling those items here and there per request but have always held back from turning it into anything. I get frozen in fear a lot.

Then last year, things shifted. A friend of mine posted a video of a hot chocolate bomb (which is a chocolate shell filled with hot chocolate and marshmallows. You then place it in a mug, pour hot milk over it and wait for it to explode with a pop of marshmallows)

and being the person I am… I just had to try it. Just to see if I COULD. What I didn’t know was that people would want them. I ended up making thousands for the holiday season and my dabbling became an actual business for the first time.

its still small and local, and I have no plans of grandeur thinking what I’m doing is going to be huge, but I need it to be sustainable for myself and my kids as I’m meeting with a lawyer tomorrow to figure out how to get out of a toxic marriage.

so all that being said, I hope this is the right place for this? I’m struggling with my website. I’m still get frozen in place of what to do and where to go. And some days I just need help because I’m in this alone.

 

[CCarter]

@Desert Haven You're in the right place. Remember everyone has to start somewhere, we crawled and fell on our faces before we walked.

There are people here that are experts in SEO (search engine optimization), PPC (Pay per Click), Social Media, promotion for traffic, and my favor - traffic leaks and much much more.

The best place for everyone to start is the Digital Strategy Crash Course. It's got an array of topics that open your eyes and allow you to start creating a war plan on dominating your business endeavors.

 

[Desert Haven]

Here’s my current rough-ish plan:
Phase 1: building my home home bakery. I not only make the hot cocoa bombs but other things dipped in chocolate, gourmet brownies and popcorn. I’m trying to edge into the party/celebration market. Like I have an order for a Halloween party. That is where my main focus wants to be. I am also getting my foot into the door of more vendor fairs as well.

I have an idea for a breakfast pop up and am taking those steps…

Phase 2: crafts/embroidery projects. Mostly custom orders. I finally upgraded to an industrial 15 needle machine from my single needle and it is paid for in full so I owe nothing on it. (Of course, this is if he’s not petty and tries to take it in the divorce…)
I’m currently moving into this phase.

Phase 3: photography with a focus on Boudoir. I’m not there yet but it’s something to do.

I have a friend that I’ve been brainstorming ideas with for the last few years and in talking to her, I realized that the way my mind works, I’ll never be satisfied in a single job doing the same thing over and over. That ideal does not work for me. It occurred to me that who says you need ONE job for the rest of your life? What’s wrong with several smaller ones as long as they’re manageable and profitable?

 

[Ryuzaki]

I’ll never be satisfied in a single job doing the same thing over and over. That ideal does not work for me. It occurred to me that who says you need ONE job for the rest of your life? What’s wrong with several smaller ones as long as they’re manageable and profitable?

Welcome, @Desert Haven, glad to have you.

I think you'd enjoy reading the book The E-Myth Revisited (it's just the revised, "up-to-date" re-print with a couple added anectdotes). The main story you read along with is about a woman getting her bakery running and successful.

But the main reason I point out that book is that you have to know there's no way you can manage all 3 of your business ideas by yourself. What I mean is, you won't be able to do all the labor. You'll be spread so thin that if any one of them starts to see success you'll be so stressed about it.

I agree you don't have to do one job for the rest of your life. But you can't do three jobs at once, either. So those 3 ideas have to become businesses, not jobs you create for yourself. That's what the E-Myth book will teach you (it means the Entrepreneurial Myth). How to take it from a job to a business that can operate for you and give you profit while you move on to your second and third phases, building each of those into a business.

It's really as "simple" as creating operating procedures as you build the "job" and then bringing in a worker to replace a part of your responsibility, and then another, and another, until suddenly you don't even need to be there any more. And yet it's all being done exactly how you want it to be done.

Anyways, you've got a big, fun, arduous journey ahead of you. We're here to help.

 

[Desert Haven]

@Ryuzaki - I’ve been mulling over your advice yesterday, and it clicked a little better as I’m going through the digital strategy crash course that @CCarter advised. I read day two today as I’m taking my time and absorbing what I read since a lot of this is new to me and I live with three different brains on any given day (my “normal” one, my depressive one that tells me I can’t and my anxiety-driven one that runs ninety-to-nothing and has a hard time remembering anything).

It clicked about stretching myself thin and having a passion versus a hobby. So the crafting part… that’s definitely a hobby. The baking, that is definitely my passion. That’s my zone when I’m working there. I find with crafting, I get bored making the same things over and over, which leads me to believe that it’s definitely a hobby.

So if I may pick your brain for a second with these thoughts/questions:
1- would it be awful if I did have a RTS craft shop tab on my website that someone could purchase already made items or combine them with the bakery part to create a personalized, unique gift. This way the crafting part isn’t my main focus any longer, but I can still sell items as I have the time for them.
2- when I’m ready to shift to the photography, this could be a side job as opposed to a main one? As boudoir photography is a very specific type and not everyone will be interested in something like that anyway. But it would be an in addition to?

right now I’m just taking my time and thinking these things through with the new perspectives that have been given. I appreciate it.

 

[Ryuzaki]

would it be awful if I did have a RTS craft shop tab on my website that someone could purchase already made items or combine them with the bakery part to create a personalized, unique gift

I'd just have an Etsy store, to be honest. You can definitely upsell your bakery customers to spend more money, but you don't need to distract them with non-bakery related content and products. You need to keep it focused not only for you but for the customer and ultimately your bottom line.

when I’m ready to shift to the photography, this could be a side job as opposed to a main one? As boudoir photography is a very specific type and not everyone will be interested in something like that anyway. But it would be an in addition to?

Sure. It could be your full time gig if you get the bakery running as described above, where you don't even need to be present. But if you want to be the one cooking and baking, then I'd push it into the side gig or hobby territory. Nothing wrong with a side gig. If I'm understanding that type of photography correctly, it's not going to fill up your schedule anyways.

I just stress, that the more things you try to do, the less time and energy you have for any of them, and none of them get the effort and attention they need to succeed. You can do multiple things later once you've created a business and worked your way out of them (while still taking the profit), but until then you're really just talking about self-sabotage to a degree. You win by focusing on a specialization and doing good marketing to tap into the demand, and fulfilling that demand with a healthy profit margin.

 

[Desert Haven]

I probably do just need to focus on the bakery for now anyway. I officially retained a lawyer today so I’m also looking at becoming a single mother soon and probably don’t need to add more stress by trying to do too much because that’s going to be enough on its own.
Bakery it is, then. That’s where my passion is lying and I have a few ideas for the next steps for it.

And, yes you are correct, that type of photography is very specialized and not going to fill a calendar like family and baby portraits would.

 

[DarkCarnage]

Hey,

I'm a 24-year-old who came into online marketing 6 months ago. I failed out of college due to drinking problems and substance issues. Having been born in a dysfunctional single-parent home, I was a complete wreck right from school days. I lived in a really poor neighborhood as a child and it was easy to fall into self-destructional habits.

Went through multiple relationships over the past 5 years, breaking up mainly due to my own mistakes. I worked in retail for a while and got fired from there as well a year ago.

A while after getting fired from my minimum wage job, I was almost homeless. I moved in with a buddy of mine who was kind enough to take me in. Basically, I crash on his couch and depend on state support to buy food.

Around 6 months ago, I had an epiphany and decided to stop being a loser. By pure luck, a buddy of mine told me to look into digital marketing and building websites. He had built and sold websites successfully, and went on to other investments.

I started building a tech site all on my own. Figured out a few things, but made a lot of mistakes. Wrote articles on topics that came to my mind without caring about SEO or any kind of marketing. Wrote 40 articles but I only get around 10 views a day in total after 6 months of work. Got completely dejected, and decided to re-evaluate. Although nothing came off my effort, this was the first time I was able to do something serious for 6 months straight.

Where I'm at now

Have a tech website with 30 articles on random topics that came to my mind.

What I'm doing now

Going through the digital marketing crash course to learn the basics. I might delete my current posts before writing new posts. Hope to make some money to sustain myself through my website.

 

[janky]

Welcome to BuSo.
If you put in the work, you can make a lot of money in this world. Many people from this forum sold 6-7 figure sites, so definitely possible.

The tech niche is pretty competitive, so if you are not getting/buying links or focusing on a (really) small subniche and publish a lot about that topic it's pretty hard to make it with SEO.
After people choose a niche, a lot make the mistake of writing random articles about the niche.
Before you continue writing take a look at my post from another thread. Might help you, as I see a lot of newbies fail here.

Good luck, if you have questions don't hesitate to ask.

 

[Ryuzaki]

Wrote 40 articles but I only get around 10 views a day in total after 6 months of work.

Pretty typical and nothing to be forlorn about. Most people find themselves right where you're at, especially on their first go around. People who've done this a lot still don't get tons of traffic until they break the one year mark. It's just how Google works to keep spammers at bay. But 40 articles in 6 months isn't "I'm trying to make a living at this" levels of work.

I might delete my current posts before writing new posts.

I wouldn't. What you can do is keyword research on the topics that the article is about, find a good, low-competition keyword, and re-optimize (or optimize for the first time) the article around that keyword. There's zero point in deleting good content, if it's good and not lazy content.

Going through the digital marketing crash course to learn the basics.

Good call, this will definitely be worth your time. You'll get a lay of the land first so you aren't a wandering lost soul. Everything you need is in there, and if you need clarifications you can ask questions in those threads or elsewhere in the forum. We welcome you and will enjoy having you around.

 

[nlw]

Hello. I just signed up and this looks like an amazing place for me to learn more about marketing. I run a digital agency myself and I’m always open to connect and learn from others. Looking forward to devouring content on this place for hours daily haha

 

[Ryuzaki]

Welcome, @nlw. Glad you joined us. How's the agency life treating you? Are you keeping it smaller or running a big operation or what?

Do you work on any projects of your own, like a side hustle away from the agency work?

 

[Potatoe]

Hey buddy, welcome to the gang. We'll schedule you to be jumped in sometime next week, the initiation is to spend the next 3 years of your life writing about keywords that get 0 search volume. You'll also need to submit your reddit post history for scrutiny, but after that you're all set. Alternatively, you could also just post 3 times and get 3 likes to skip the normal process.

How did you get started with your digital agency, and what sort of work does your agency do?

Peace and love from your pal Potatoe

 

[DarkCarnage]

Welcome to BuSo.
If you put in the work, you can make a lot of money in this world. Many people from this forum sold 6-7 figure sites, so definitely possible.

The tech niche is pretty competitive, so if you are not getting/buying links or focusing on a (really) small subniche and publish a lot about that topic it's pretty hard to make it with SEO.
After people choose a niche, a lot make the mistake of writing random articles about the niche.
Before you continue writing take a look at my post from another thread. Might help you, as I see a lot of newbies fail here.

Good luck, if you have questions don't hesitate to ask.

Will check out your thread. Thank you so much for the advice. motivating I must say!

Pretty typical and nothing to be forlorn about. Most people find themselves right where you're at, especially on their first go around. People who've done this a lot still don't get tons of traffic until they break the one year mark. It's just how Google works to keep spammers at bay. But 40 articles in 6 months isn't "I'm trying to make a living at this" levels of work.


I wouldn't. What you can do is keyword research on the topics that the article is about, find a good, low-competition keyword, and re-optimize (or optimize for the first time) the article around that keyword. There's zero point in deleting good content, if it's good and not lazy content.


Good call, this will definitely be worth your time. You'll get a lay of the land first so you aren't a wandering lost soul. Everything you need is in there, and if you need clarifications you can ask questions in those threads or elsewhere in the forum. We welcome you and will enjoy having you around.

That's a relief. I thought I was a goner there due to lack of success. Glad I'm not the only one.

Yes, 40 articles is too low. I'm going to aim for at least an article a day going forward. But I'll finish my keyword research for at least 10-20 topics before I start writing.

Taking your advice, I won't delete my existing posts as well. THanks

I'm currently going through the Digital strategy course and learning from scratch. I'll be around to ask questions. Thank you so much.

 

[Polip17]

Hello BuSo family,
I just found this place through Reddit and I'm loving the content. Looking forward to being an active member of this community.

I've been a wedding photographer for 11 years and I started learning SEO in 2015, when I needed to separate my business from other photographers in my area. I'm glad I did. I'm still ranking first for the most important keywords and I learned a TON about Marketing and SEO since then.

Somewhere along the journey, I decided to study Marketing (Digital marketing, mostly) between 2017 and 2020. I've been always drawn to SEO and very recently I quit photography completely to jump into the marketing world with both feet. I took a full-time job at a startup and I realized that I am missing a few tools on my arsenal, including some that are very important for SEO, such as link building and outreach.

I'm hoping to learn about those and a lot more on BuSo!

 

[ToffeeLa]

Hey Polip17, welcome to BuSo and fire away if you have any questions. Don't ignore your photography (and videography?) skills as they can be valuable tools to create connections in marketing (especially in the link building and outreach that you mention).

 

[nlw]

Hello @Ryuzaki

thanks for your message. I’m running just a small operation but increasing rapidly in the past 6 months. I’ve had to expand my team. Agency life is treating me really well! Thanks for asking

Hey buddy, welcome to the gang. We'll schedule you to be jumped in sometime next week, the initiation is to spend the next 3 years of your life writing about keywords that get 0 search volume. You'll also need to submit your reddit post history for scrutiny, but after that you're all set. Alternatively, you could also just post 3 times and get 3 likes to skip the normal process.

How did you get started with your digital agency, and what sort of work does your agency do?

Peace and love from your pal Potatoe

Haha. Thanks.

i got started with my agency 3 years ago. I’ve seen a boom since the COVID last year. We are basically a full service creative agency. We do web design and development, mobile app design and development, branding and strategy at the core. Thank you for asking!

Welcome, @nlw. Glad you joined us. How's the agency life treating you? Are you keeping it smaller or running a big operation or what?

Do you work on any projects of your own, like a side hustle away from the agency work?

Yes I own a couple side projects. I write personally and I’m expanding that into the online sphere. I’m also working on my personal brand since I’ve sort of been on the back scene for a while now.

 

[lion1978]

Welcome.
Listen to the smart people that is my best advice, and you've already taken it LOL I'm so late and Dumb that it is beyond words.

 

[Pagey]

1. English Teacher. Check!
2. Mother. Check!
3. Knowledge about arts&crafts sewing/embroideries. Check!
4. Knowledge about baking. Check!

You are the perfect candidate to help an experienced marketer that has sites in niches such as parenting, arts & crafts, cooking & recipes.

Knowledgeable people that actually know this stuff and can write quality content are hard to come by. You could learn the ropes and get paid at the same time!